Olympic Esports Forum held in Lausanne, Switzerland

Esports, gaming, and traditional sports stakeholders met to discuss future opportunities across multiple panels at the esports forum in Lausanne, Switzerland this weekend. 150 stakeholders across all industries attended, including players, publishers and sponsors.

Hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) at the Olympic Museum, the event was moderated by former NBA star and esports franchise owner Rick Fox. Included among these were representatives from Riot Games , Epic Games , Blizzard and ESL . There were also esports demos, with a spotlight on FIFA 18 , Hearthstone , and Starcraft II .

Questions raised included whether esports could be recognized as a sport, possible measures to ensure improved conditions for its athletes, and a move to increase opportunities for a wider range of players. The aim of the forum was to explore potential collaboration opportunities and commonalities across the different industries, as well as discussing methods to improve conditions for each community. This forum followed the Olympic Summit held in October 2017, which formed a dialogue with the gaming industry, among others.

The IOC and the GAISF will now establish an Esports Liaison Group (ELG) to continue engagement between all three sets of major stakeholders. Members of the newly formed group will be invited to the Olympism in Action Forum in Buenos Aires, commencing later this year.

Additionally, esports will be discussed at the upcoming GAISF Forum, all 206 National Olympic Committees, and on the 2018 Olympic Summit.